Son of Zeus
by kenziescott54
Summary: Harry and his friends take refuge at Camp Half-Blood after the death of Dumbledore, looking for answers and for help. HBP compliant, also compliant with the PYO books but not with the Heroes of Olympus series. In-Progress. Ron/Hermione, not sure about everyone else yet.
1. Camp Half-Blood

**AN - This story is compliant with all of the Half-Blood Prince except for the very end. As I haven't read Percy Jackson in a while, it's not really compliant with those books at all, so sorry to disappoint anyone who loves the Percy Jackson fandom. It's just based on that world. Percy and Annabeth are 16.**

**I'd love review - be nice, it's my first. :)**

Percy Jackson breathed a deep sigh of relief. He was back at Camp Half-Blood.

Away from the camp, things never felt right. He had grown used to a world where he could openly discuss his godly parentage or complain about how much the value of drachmas had gone down. Apparently the gods were having a recession, too.

And he always felt relieved to see Grover and Annabeth's faces. Grover had almost full grown horns and trotted round with a swagger. And Annabeth…

These days, it was almost bittersweet to see Annabeth. She and Percy had gone through a rather indifferent period where they barely talked and they never touched. Yet he had still been torn up when they agreed things were not working out. And so had she…at least, she had said she was…

But still, dating or not, he knew her better than anyone on earth but Grover, and she was still one of his best friends. Her presence was comforting, warming, like it had always been.

It was the first day back, and he was seated on a bench with Annabeth and Grover catching up and waiting for the first-day festivities to begin. They started in the evening, and they still a few hours to go.

As they chatted, Chiron suddenly trotted up to them.

"Good evening, champions," he said with a nod and a grin.

"Evening, yourself, Big Man!" Grover replied. Chiron's brows knitted; as often as Grover had told him it was a term of respect, he still did not take well to being called "big man."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" asked Annabeth pointedly. Chiron never just came up to students to say hi; he didn't have the time. Chiron glanced at her with raised eyebrows.

"Ah, yes, Miss Chase," he said with a smile. "As a matter of fact, I'd like you three to come with me."

"With you? - ah, are we in some kind of trouble?" asked Percy nervously.

"If you were in trouble, Percy Jackson," said the centaur impatiently, "you would know by now. Follow me, and we shall talk as we go."

When Chiron spoke, you obeyed.

"So, what's new?" asked Grover as they headed for Chiron's office. "Any monsters that need attacking? People that need saving?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," said Chiron, turning his head to look at him. Grover blanched; he had been joking, he didn't actually expect a yes.

"But who…" Annabeth began,and Chiron cut her off immediataely.

"It is not anyone that you would guess…it is not a god, nor monsters, nor anything of the sort. Hidden across the sea and even on our own shores exists a world we know nothing of…or have not, until this very day. This world contains its own oddities, its own threats, and its own famous heroes…yet the gods know nothing of it, nor they of them."

"Um…" Percy heard the nervousness in his own voice, and he cleared his throat and tried again. "Um, Chiron…" Not any better the second time, either. "Chiron, would you stop talking in circles and tell us what's going on? Because, if it's something major I'd rather know right off the bat then-"

"You will know in due time!" said Chiron, his voice rising. "As it happens, refugees from this world have come to ask for our help, and the story can wait until you hear from their own lips."

They were in the cool, shady stone building by now, climbing the steps to the actual office. They could hear voices from above.

"Chiron…are they halfbloods?" Annabeth asked in a low voice.

"Demigods, you mean? I do not know, Annabeth. I doubt if they know…they do not believe the gods exist, you see."

Before anyone could say anything else, they had entered the office and a strange assortment of people turned around to face them.

At the front of the group stood a rather short boy with unkempt black hair bunched conspicuously on his forhead, startlingly green eyes, and round glasses. By his side stood a tall boy with fiery red hair and a girl with brown bushy hair. She held something concealed in her hand.

There was also a small girl who was obviously related to the red-haired boy; she had the same vibrant shade of hair, the same plentiful freckles, and the same bright blue eyes; a girl with long, ragged looking blonde hair and a rather vacant expression who was nonetheless rather pretty, and a very tall, pale blond boy in black who stood away from the others.

"Ah, here we are," said Chiron cheerily. "Please, eat!" He gestured to a great deal of untouched food on the study table.

"I-we ate before we came," said the black haired boy tersely, in a British accent. His eyes shot from Percy to Annabeth but dwelt longest on Grover.

"You're a faun!" said the blonde haired girl suddenly.

"Sh," began the bushy haired girl hastily, "there's no such-"

"It's standing in front of you, Hermione," said the red-haired boy, rather contemptuously. He and the girl had also spoken with accents; Percy assumed they were all British.

"Me!" said Grover. "I am no _faun_! I am a satyr, young lady. One of the finest."

"Let's not get carried away, Grover," said Percy hastily.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Some introductions are in order," he said, turning to the black haired boy and his friends. "This is Grover, a satyr. This is Annabeth Chase, and this is Percy Jackson. They will be your companions."

"Companions?!" asked Grover. "And just what does that-!"

"Percy, Annabeth, Grover," continued Chiron as if he hadn't heard, "This is Harry Potter, and these are his good friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. This is Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister. These are Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy, their friends."

"Well, I'd hardly say friends," muttered Ron, the redhead, with a side glace at the boy in black, Draco.

"I always knew there were fauns," said Luna, the blonde-haired girl.

"Not a faun," grunted Grover.

"Are you halfbloods?" asked Annabeth curiously.

"I don't think they know what-" Percy began, but to his suprise Hermione, the bushy-haired brunette, said at once, "Harry and Luna are, but Malfoy and the Weasleys are purebloods and I'm a Muggle-born. I didn't know _you_ knew about halfbloods."

"Well, we are halfbloods," said Percy, confused, "but what's a Muggleborn? And what do you mean by pureblooded?"

"What do you mean by halfblood?" asked Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister.

"What do _you _mean by halfblood?" asked Annabeth.

"I asked first," said Ginny at once, causing Ron to sigh and mutter, "Gin-"

"Halfbloods, demigods, offspring of a god and a human," said Annabeth impatiently. "Human in form but with godly powers. I'm the daughter of Athena, Percy's the son of Poseidon, and Grover's a child of Pan."

"Those are Greek legends!" exclaimed Hermione, shocked. "They don't actually exist! They're-"

"Again, Hermione," said Ron, "standing right in front of you."

"Ahem! You have been talking at cross purposes," said Chiron. "We both use the term halfblood, but we mean different things by it. Harry, you had better finish your story at once, and I will decide what to do while you explain the rest to Percy, Annabeth and Grover."

Looking suddenly very weary, Harry, the dark-haired boy, said with a sigh, "There isn't much more to tell. Dumbledore and I Apparated back onto the tower, and then-" he suddenly shot a very vicious look at Draco, "Malfoy here shows up and disarms him…and Snape finishes the work and uses the Avada Kedavra. Professor McGonagall told us to Apparate here, and then we saw you."

Chiron looked searchingly from Harry's face to Draco's; Harry was angry and tired and looked as if he would like to kill Draco; Draco's eyes were shadowed and he was very white. "Is this true?" he asked.

"I - true enough," Draco answered sharply.

Chiron stayed silent for a long time. No one said anything; Percy surveyed the group before him and noticed that they all looked as haggard and weary as Harry did.

"So Albus is dead, then. Very well," said Chiron, heavily. "Tell your story again, Harry, from beginning to end. I know that you need rest, but it is essential that these three hear the story at once."

"Excuse me - but -" Hermione said, eying the centaur nervously, "why should we tell them? I mean, we are sort of sharing our biggest secrets."

"Well, no one asked you to," Grover began indignantly.

"Be quiet, Grover. I'll vouch for them, Hermione," said Chiron placidly. "We have been through much together, and I can promise you that they are hardened, wise, trustworthy warriors."

Percy felt a bit of a glow; Chiron had never praised him like this to others. He glanced at Annabeth and saw that she, too, was fighting a proud smile.

"They will fight for you," said Chiron quietly. "They will help you, but they must know the entire story first."

"Very well then," said Harry. "Listen up, and listen well…it's a long story with a lot of details."


	2. On Hocruxes

**AN - To those of you who are following this story, sorry this took a while! I've been having some real problems with the site. Anyway, the idea here is to update at least once a week, preferably twice a week. **

**I'm going to bore you with more dialogue - don't worry, it's necessary, and the story will pick up soon. :)**

**I know I forgot this last time, so here's my disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own Percy Jackson. I own only the mindless plot.**

Silence hung heavily in the room after Harry's story. Percy felt a great wave of pity for him, trying to wrap his mind around everything he had gone through and everything he'd heard. It had taken more than an hour for Harry to tell his whole story (with Hermione's help), what with Harry's history with Voldemort and all the details involved. Percy glanced at Grover and Annabeth and saw that their faces, too, were grave.

He looked at the faces of the others - Ron and Hermione stood close to Harry, who stared into nowhere. Ginny slipped a hand into Harry's. Luna continued to look dreamy, as if the story had been a happy one.

Chiron, who'd been standing by the window, looked round with a heavy sigh. "So Dumbledore is dead," he said wearily. "And he sent you into my care…"

"He didn't, McGonagall did," said Harry.

"No doubt she did it on his orders," said Chiron. "He foresaw his death, Harry, just as he foresaw many things. But I do not think he expected it to happen so soon."

"I think he did," said Draco Malfoy. Harry looked at him, loathing plain on his face. Draco shot him a rather frightened glace. "He could tell…I mean, he knew I was trying to…"

"To kill him? Of course he did," said Chiron.

"Then why didn't he do anything about it?" asked Ron mulishly.

"Did you not hear me?" asked Chiron sternly, whirling to face him, his bushy brows drawn together. "He foresaw his death. He knew it must happen."

"You knew Dumbledore then?" asked Ginny.

"Yes," said Chiron. "As well as anyone can say they knew the man, I knew him. I was in the Order of the Phoenix. The last time we spoke was shortly before his death."

"He told you he was going to die?" Harry demanded. "If he had only told me -"

"Dumbledore had a singular habit, as I'm sure you noticed, of not telling everyone everything," said Chiron. "He told everyone a piece of something…perhaps, Harry, you and I and perhaps Minerva could put together those pieces. If I could only speak to Severus…"

"_Snape_?" Harry spat out. "Haven't you been listening? Snape killed Dumbledore - he KILLED him!"

Chiron remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on Harry.

"Chiron, if you don't mind my asking," Annabeth said, "Why are they here? I mean, I don't really see how we can help them…we're not wizards."

"Ah!" said Chiron. "Thank you, Annabeth. No, you are not wizards, but you are demigods. You have a different understanding of how to fight evil that will help them in the task that they have been sent here to learn about."

"What task is that exactly?" asked Luna. Percy thought she looked rather unconcerned about the whole thing. She still looked vacant, as if her mind was far away.

"Harry," said Chiron, "did Dumbledore ever tell you his suspicion about Hocruxes?"

"I - well," said Harry, "maybe - but why did you say you wanted to talk to Snape? He's not on our side, sir. He was a double agent."

"Yes, he was," said Chiron. "For the Order."

"No, he wasn't," said Harry angrily.

"Listen to me, Harry," said Chiron firmly. "I know that it will make you no less prejudiced, but I see that I shall have to tell you the entire truth." His expression was calm, but Percy knew him well enough to see that he was getting annoyed.

"It's a relief someone's doing that, for once," snapped Harry. Hermione touched his arm, and he shook her hand away.

"Dumbledore ordered Severus to kill him," said Chiron. "It's as simple as that."

"_What?" _gasped Harry, Ron and Hermione together.

"That's impossible," muttered Ginny. "Why would he do that?"

"Be silent, all of you, and let me speak," said Chiron sternly. "Dumbledore was…already dying. He suffered from a magical malady that had no cure. I think that he preferred to die on his own terms, and for a good reason, than to let that malady take him. He knew that Draco might be unable to kill him, and he also knew that Voldemort would never trust him as he would have trusted Severus. And so he ordered Severus to do it. And, Harry, Severus did not want to. He was wavering from the task. But, as you know, he made an Unbreakable Vow to Draco's mother to kill Dumbledore if Draco did not, and so in the end, he had to."

"Snape decided to make the Vow?"

"It was her idea," said Chiron. "But yes, he agreed. He was under pressure from Bellatrix, and it coincided with his task."

"So he…" Harry stared at Chiron, his eyes empty. "He knew he was going to die, and soon, but he couldn't mention to me…I see…"

"No, you do not see," said Chiron, his voice stern again. "I understand that you are grieving, Harry. But do not be unjust. There was a reason Dumbledore did not tell you about his impending death. I do not fully understand it, but I'm sure he knew that you would object, that you would try to sway him, and he had more important things to discuss with you. I ask you again: did he mention Hocruxes?"

"Hocruxes - yes, he did," said Harry, frowning a little.

"They're a very advanced form of Dark Magic," began Hermione, lifting her chin, "and they-"

"I know what they are," interrupted Chiron sharply. "I need to know what Harry knows about them." Hermione looked a bit put out.

"Oh, well, Hermione can explain it a bit better than I can," said Harry, hastily.

"Someone explain it," said Grover, impatiently. "I'm just _dying_ to know."

"Essentially," said Hermione hastily, looking at Chiron out of the corner of her eye, "it's a way to split your soul so that if you die, your soul will live on. You hide a fragment of soul in a certain object, and it then becomes your Hocrux. The more Hocruxes you create, the closer you are to immortality, although there is a great cost; to split your soul, you have to have done something really, really evil."

"And Voldemort created a number of Hocruxes," said Harry. "And Dumbledore was trying to find them so they could be destroyed."

"The diary!" screeched Ginny, and everyone looked at her. "Tom's diary," she said in a slightly calmer tone, and in a flash Percy remembered that part of the story. "Is that - I mean, was that a Hocrux?"

"It was," said Chiron. "And Dumbledore destroyed a second Hocrux: the ring of Marvolo Gaunt, Voldemort's grandfather. There are - I now know - five more Hocruxes to be destroyed. I know what three of them are, but I do not know their location. That's where Percy, Annabeth, and Grover come in."

"Huh?!" Grover squeaked.

"The task that Albus left to Harry was to destroy all the Hocruxes," said Chiron. "I suspect he told Minerva to send you here because he thought Harry would try and do it on his own. The fact is, we're running out of time. Voldemort is growing stronger daily, and crushing resistance everywhere it rises."

"What's that got to do with us?" asked Annabeth, looking uneasily at Percy.

"You are going with Harry and his friends to destroy the Hocruxes."

**To Guest Reviewer: Thanks, you're nice ;)**

**To everyone else: THERE IS A REVIEW BUTTON DOWN THERE, you know. Just sayin.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, everyone!**

**So this is just a filler chapter to keep you occupied until we get to the real story. It's taking me a little longer to get through the PJ books than I wanted, and this weekend is looking super busy for me.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. I used to own fish, but they all died.**

Harry's POV

When Harry awoke, it took him a long time to remember where he was. Then the memory of Dumbledore's death and their hurried flight from Hogwarts struck him like an open hand.

A wave of grief washed over Harry. He still refused to believe that Dumbledore had foreseen, even _planned_ his own death. It was easier to simply blame Snape for all that had happened - it was Snape, it had always been Snape -

Harry reached for his glasses, which lay on the floor next to him, and looked round at his surroundings. He was lying on a low wooden bed in what looked to be a cabin. There were several other people, all fast asleep, in the cabin; very near him he saw Ron, snoring noisily, and Draco Malfoy. He had a vague memory of an early night after seeing a bonfire and a great deal of people celebrating something. He'd been exhausted and in no mood to celebrate anything, especially something that had nothing to do with him, so he had been brought here to the cabin of Hermes, they called it - he didn't know what that meant - and given a bed, and had fallen asleep almost immediately.

Two enormous questions loomed in Harry's mind as he struggled to wake up fully. Why was Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater, in refuge with them? And why was Harry expected to trust Chiron, whom he knew nothing about? He'd been too tired the day before to argue with such an obvious authority figure (besides, he had a healthy fear of centaurs and their stern tempers, due to some of his encounters with them in the Forbidden Forest). He and Hermione told Chiron and the two kids (and one satyr) everything they wanted to hear. That meant his and Voldemort's entire story, from beginning to end. It had taken forever to fully explain everything, even with Hermione's help. But Chiron already seemed way ahead of him, which was why Harry felt he should trust him, even though his mind told him he shouldn't.

Harry rolled out of bed and stepped over sleeping bodies until he reached the cabin door. Outside it was just barely sunrise; Harry was up early. He could already hear sounds of people stirring around the camp, but it looked deserted.

"Harry."

Chiron stood a few feet away from him, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Sir?"

"Come," Chiron said. "Walk with me."

Harry followed him down the path between the cabins. Each cabin had a name in Roman letters carved over the door. Harry read the names as they walked, some of them ringing a bell in his head: ATHENA, ARES, APHRODITE, HERA…He very vaguely remembered hearing their names in Muggle school.

"Are the gods really real like that?" Harry asked, looking up at Chiron. "Do they ever come here?"

"Yes, they are, and no, they do not," said Chiron. "The children of the gods live in their respective cabins. Hermes' cabin is a place for the anonymous, which is why you were there. The gods have too many children to count, you see. They have many duties already…"

"So they can't be bothered to take care of their own children?"

"I did not ask you to join me so we could discuss this," said Chiron dismissively, "though it is well worth discussing. Before the camp awakes I will call your friends for a meeting, but I wanted to talk to you alone. There are some things I would like to say to you."

They had left the path and were strolling through the sparse woods. Early morning sunlight filtered through the trees and cast a green light around them; Harry felt a calm, restful feeling descend upon him.

"Ah," said Chiron. "We are, I believe, quite alone. I know you have many questions, Harry, but you will have to save them for a moment. Besides, I think a short explanation will suffice to answer most of them.

"You want to know how I knew Dumbledore. It is simple. It used to be the practice of the Ministry, when it was formed, to keep in contact with me here at Camp-Half Blood. Demigods make dangerous wizards, Harry; because of their powerful heritage, they are born with the ability to do what you call magic. But they fell away from that practice a very long time ago. It was only when Dumbledore formed the Order that I heard from the Wizarding world again. He thought it important that I be notified of the rise of Lord Voldemort. This was when he was first coming to power."

"My parents were in the Order then," said Harry. "Did you know them?"

"I never met anyone from the Order," said Chiron, "save Dumbledore, Minerva and Severus. As I was saying, Dumbledore contacted me when the Order formed and continued to contact me even after the fall of Voldemort; as you know, he and Severus never believed that Voldemort was truly dead."

"You can't convince me that Snape is on our side," said Harry, stubbornly.

"He is, whether I convince you of it or not," said Chiron. "At any rate, Albus and I have been communicating for years. He knew that you might need a place to come if he died before he could tell you all he wanted. Only Minerva and Severus know you are here. Severus will not betray us, and I will not hear of it," he added as Harry opened his mouth.

"Well, what about Malfoy? Why is he here?" asked Harry irritably. He was annoyed and wanted to argue about something.

"He is not on the Dark Lord's side, Harry."

"Well, he's bloody well not on ours either," returned Harry.

"He is a refugee from Voldemort, just like you, and that is why he is here," said Chiron quietly.

Harry still felt unsatisfied, but he did not question Chiron further. He simply waited to hear what else Chiron had to say.

"When you told me the story of you and Dumbledore retrieving the locket," said Chiron, "you didn't tell me what happened to the it. This is important, Harry; where is it?"

"Oh!" said Harry, "I've got it here, sir." (AN: yes, I know Dumbledore had it, but that just wouldn't be feasible in this story, would it?) He tugged the locket from his jacket pocket and handed it to Chiron, who opened it immediately. To Harry's surprise, there was a small note encased inside. Chiron read it hastily, then grunted.

"What does it say, sir?" asked Harry, a wave of excitement running through him. He couldn't imagine what a note hidden inside a Hocrux would reveal, but it was sure to be something helpful.

Chiron handed him the small slip of paper and Harry read the note:

To the Dark Lord I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.

"So...all we did...Dumbledore...that was for nothing?" Harry gasped, floored.

"It was not for nothing," said Chiron, compassionately. "It had to be done, else how would we have known?"

"Do you have any idea who R.A.B. could be, sir?" asked Harry.

"None," said Chiron absently. "It's something for you and me both to think about, Harry."

The sound of a bugle blowing rent the air, and Chiron's head raised. "Soon everyone will be awake," he said. "Get your friends, Harry, and bring them to my study again. Let as few people as possible see you. Go!"

"But I've no idea where the girls are!" said Harry, panicking.

"They're with Annabeth. Hurry now, Harry!"

Harry ran back to Hermes' cabin and back to where Ron and Malfoy lay sleeping. He shook Ron awake. "We've got to get a move on, Ron," he whispered.

"Sure!" mumbled Ron, opening his eyes groggily. Harry bent over Malfoy, who rolled over wide awake as if he hadn't been sleeping.

"Well, come on," Harry snapped, and turned back to Ron, who was snoring loudly as if he'd never been awake.

"Come _on_, Ron," said Harry as loudly as he dared. The kids around them were beginning to wake up. One, a tall, dark-haired boy, looked at them in interest.

"You're new here, aren't you?" he said in a friendly tone.

"Yeah, well," said Harry, striking at random, "There are new people here every year, aren't there? RON!" he added in a loud whisper, dragging at Ron's arm.

"How did you know?" asked the boy.

"Know what?" asked Harry warily.

"That you were a halfblood, of course?"

"Oh - ah - well," Harry spluttered, "I - um, I had a dream."

"A dream!" said the boy, looking vastly interested.

"Yes," said Harry, wishing desperately that Malfoy would help him and stop staring at him as if he were insane. "I'm the son of...um, Hephaestus." He gave Ron a sound kick to the shins and heard him gasp, "Oof!"

"If you know you're his son, then why aren't you in his cabin?" asked the boy with genuine curiosity. "And where are you from, anyway? You sound British; I didn't know people came from that far."

"Don't ask so many questions," snapped Harry. By now several other kids were looking at them in interest. Harry yanked Ron to his feet. "I think we'll just be going for a walk," he said, dragging Ron to the door and hoping Malfoy would follow.

The path between the cabins was still deserted. Harry glared at Ron, who was shaking the sleep out of his eyes. His clothes were horribly wrinkled and his bright red hair was sticking in every direction, giving him a scarecrowish look.

"What's up?" asked Ron.

"We've got to get to Chiron's study," growled Harry, "and we're not to let anyone see us." He looked at Malfoy, who looked very sulky and decidedly more rumpled than Harry had ever seen him. Whatever Chiron said, Harry still felt mistrustful and wary of him.

"Where is it then?" asked Ron. "I don't remember the way..."

Harry swore under his breath. He didn't remember either, and it was getting late. He could see a few people going here and there, could hear voices everywhere.

"Hey!"

Percy Jackson was jogging up the path towards them. He looked rested and refreshed, unlike the three boys standing before him. Harry was suddenly struck by the boy's resemblance to his own appearance, bar the scar and the glasses.

"Oh, it's you," said Harry in relief. "Could you show us the way to Chiron's study?"

"I was headed there myself," said Percy. "You should have been there a long time ago, you shouldn't -"

"Be seen?" asked Harry irritably. "Well, we were, and I'm sorry if that's a problem; no one mentioned this yesterday, you know."

"Oh, well, you don't have to be so touchy. Come on!" said Percy, leading the way up the path.

* * *

><p><strong>To Aphrodite Child, serenity selena, S, mattcun, Percabeth lover, Guests: Thank you! I really appreciate it. And don't worry, I won't stop writing anytime soon, I've got a whole plot written out already. <strong>

**To Elrond's Scribe: Wouldn't you like to know! And next time you should sign in when you comment so I can PM you, LOL.**

**To S.s and Me: Keep reading, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. :). Thanks for being constructive!**

**To Finwitch1 and branchkk: You make a good point. I'd forgotten about Nico, which is partly why I'm going back to read the books. Thanks a lot for being constructive!**

**-Kenzie**


	4. A Spy at Camp Half-Blood

**Well, well, well. I'm finally back! I really didn't intend to desert this story, but I got locked out of the site because of some bug they only just really fixed. So I'm back now, and ready to rumble.**

**Here's the next stage of the story! Please excuse the shortness of the chapter and any errors. I was in a hurry. **

**To you brilliant people who reminded me that Nico was the son of Hades and he'd be really good at fighting Voldemort and all, your wish has been answered. I sincerely thank you.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. **

* * *

><p>When Harry, Ron, Draco and Percy entered Chiron's study, Annabeth and Grover, along with Ginny, Hermione, and Luna were already there.<p>

"What took you so long?" said Annabeth worriedly. Harry noticed that she was holding a stack of what looked like some sort of scrolls in her hand; Hermione held a similar stack and was riffling through them with great interest.

"We got caught up," said Harry, hoping no one would question him.

"You didn't let anyone see you, did you?" asked Chiron with a worried frown.

"We talked to a boy," said Ron before Harry could stop him. "Asked an awful lot of questions, he did. Wanted to know all about us."

"I'd check my pockets if I were you," said Chiron. "Children of Hermes have a tendency to stealing. And please remember that you're in terrible danger, and your job while you're here is simply to rest and keep a low profile. Can you manage that?"

"Yes," said Hermione hastily; she seemed to sense Harry's temper rising. "We'd better get started now, hadn't we?"

"Started on what?" said Percy curiously.

"We have much to decide in a very short period of time. That's what this meeting is for," Chiron answered.

"What's to decide?" said Harry, and everyone looked at him. "I mean, we're supposed to be looking for Hocruxes, right?"

"It isn't quite that simple, Harry," said Hermione. "They're going to be very hard to find and to destroy."

"And," added Chiron, "I need to split you into groups to find them. I would very much like to know how well you all interact before I do that."

"Why do we need to be split up?" demanded Harry in some alarm. He could not imagine such a quest with anyone but Ron and Hermione with him, but he had a feeling Chiron wouldn't let him choose."

"I'll explain later," answered Chiron. "Now listen, everyone. Last night I sent an Iris-message to the goddess Despoina, and she told me much that has long been revealed regarding to Lord Voldemort. When we are done here, Annabeth, I need you to contact Miss Dare. Request a prophecy from the Oracle, and if Despoina can be trusted, Rachael will give it to you."

"Who's Despoina?" interrupted Ron. "And what's an Iris message?"

"Despoina is the goddess of cultic mysteries, she knows all about cursed objects such as Hocruxes. And Iris-messaging is how we contact each other. Now, no more interruptions! Listen carefully: Despoina knows what three of the Hocruxes are. She knows that two have been destroyed. And she tells me that two remain, one newly-created, and one un-named. Don't ask me what that means. The three identified Hocruxes belong to the founding fathers of Hogwarts: There is the locket of Salazar Slytherin, the copy of which was found by Harry and Albus. There is the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. And there is the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw."

"The lost diadem!" said Luna. "I suppose they're all back at Hogwarts?"

"I think it highly unlikely that all three Hocruxes are hidden in the same place," said Chiron, "and I need you to help me think where they might be. The locket?"

"If we knew who R.A.B. was," began Ron.

"We don't," said Hermione. "But I suppose we do know that he didn't destroy the locket."

"We do?"

"Yes, Ronald," said Hermione witheringly. "If Chiron was told the locket still existed, then it wasn't destroyed, was it?"

"And you intend to split us up, sir?" asked Grover.

"Yes, I do," said Chiron. "We don't have enough time for you all to go searching together, and it'll also make you easier to find. I intend to stay here, and you, Grover will stay with me."

"Can I take Ron and Hermione with me, sir?" asked Harry immediately.

"No, Harry. I've thought this through. You three know this quest inside and out, so if we split you three must be separated."

"We're going back to Hogwarts, then?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, you can take your group searching for the cup and Ron will look for the diadem. Harry will look for the locket. You'll all be together to begin with, of course, but remember your top priorities are separate." He looked at Percy and Annabeth. "I want a demi-god in each group."

"But there are three groups and two of us," said Percy.

"I know," said Chiron. "I've sent a message to Nico di Angelo. If there is anyone more capable of dealing with the Dark Lord, I have yet to meet them. Nico is the son of Hades, but I want him on his own merit: he is brave, and he is fair."

"Who's going with me?" asked Harry. If Ron and Hermione couldn't come with him, perhaps he could at least take Ginny.

" I think Percy and Luna will go with you," said Chiron, looking thoughtfully around at them. "Hermione, perhaps you could take Draco and Nico. Which leaves you, Ron, with your sister and Annabeth."

"Great," Hermione muttered. "Just great. I don't even know Nico."

"You'll like Nico," Percy promised, but she just scowled at him. In fact, none of Harry's friends really looked happy at the proposed arrangements.

"How do we destroy these things?" asked Percy. "You said they were nearly impossible to destroy, but they have to be destroyed, so how about some, you know, some tips or something?"

All of a sudden, a high-pitched scream rent the air. Chiron whirled and hurried to the window; Percy yanked a pen out of his pocket. Annabeth and Grover looked alarmed.

"What is it, Chiron?" Annabeth asked, a note of panic in her voice.

"Just as I thought!" Chiron snapped. "You've been observed. There is a spy in this camp, Harry, or at least I suspect that there is. Your enemies are coming."

Harry felt a chill creeping down his spine. Here he was, all the way in America, in a supposedly secret location, and yet already he'd been found. It was as he'd thought: he wasn't going to be safe anywhere.

"What do we do?" asked Annabeth, pulling a knife from her belt.

"Put away your weapons," said Chiron, turning from the window. "You are leaving."

"What?" Annabeth looked aghast. "We can't just leave the camp to fight -"

"They want you, not the other campers," said Chiron. "Quickly!"

"Where are we going?" asked Percy. "And how are we going to get out without being seen?"

"You're going to Apparate," said Chiron calmly.

"Going to what?"

"Harry and his friends have a form of magical transportation. They'll take you with them. Harry, I want you to somehow get to Grimmauld Place. I suspect that it may be watched, though, so I wouldn't just Apparate into the front yard; perhaps you could go somewhere else first, and return to Grimmauld Place under your Cloak, two by two."

"What about you?" demanded Annabeth. "What are we going to do when we get there?"

Chiron opened his desk and tossed her a bag. "Iris-message me or Grover," he said. "That bag is full of drachmas."

As Chiron spoke, Harry suddenly felt a cold, dreadfully familiar feeling creep into his mind, and his scar began to pain him. "Dementors," he muttered.

"Blimey, we'd better go," said Ron, looking alarmed. "Where to, Harry?"

Through his rising panic, Harry tried to think of a safe place to go. The Burrow - hardly, they'd never get away from Mrs. Weasley. Privet Drive - he couldn't fathom what the Dursleys would say. An idea popped suddenly into his head; he had no idea where it had come from, but he acted on it immediately.

"Budleigh Babberton," he said.

"Where?" asked Hermione, her voice unusually high-pitched. It was clear the dementors were getting to her too...

"Just everyone hold hands," Harry said, grasping Ron and Percy's arms.

He closed his eyes, envisioned the dark, deserted square, and turned on the spot.

* * *

><p><strong>Here we go, I'm finally getting close to the fun part! <strong>**I'm having a bit of a hard time with the logistical details. I figure the Death Eaters might not be watching Grimmauld Place yet, nor would the ghost of Mad-Eye be there since he isn't even dead. Right?**

**To: The Four founders of Hogwarts (Aphrotide Child, right?) mattcun, and Guest: oh yes, of course I'm updating! I like the story too! :D**

**Thanks to all the people who are following or favorited the story! I've got new followers even though I put the story on hiatus, which I find really cool. :)**

**Now I want to hear from you! What do you think about the splitting up? I've got reasons for the way I split the groups, obviously, but it isn't set in stone, and do you think I should have put different people together?**

**Remember that if you review, it'll make me excited and I'll write faster!**

**See you soon!**

**-Kenzie**


	5. Number 12, Grimmauld Place

**Look at me go! I'm uploading only 3 days after the last time! I wonder how long I can keep that up.**

**By the way, there will be a bit of coupling later on. I'm keeping Ron/Hermione together, of course, and I have some INTERESTING ideas for everyone else! LOL. Not slash though.**

**I apologize in advance for any spelling and grammar/phrasing mistakes. I do check, but I miss things.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.**

* * *

><p>The dust settled around Harry as he opened his eyes. The dark, deserted square in the small village of Budleigh Babberton looked so exactly like it had the last time he'd been there that he could almost imagine that it was the same night, that Dumbledore stood by his side, and that he had just Apparated for the first time.<p>

But then he looked around him, and saw not Dumbledore - Dumbledore, who had always guided him, who'd always known the answers - but his friends, who were just as confused and unsure as he was; and a wave of grief and helplessness washed over him. Despite the number of people with him, he felt quite alone, and afraid, as if he were the only person in the dusty square.

"Phew! What was _that_?" Percy demanded, bending down to put his hands on his knees. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"That's Apparating," said Luna calmly. "It's a bit strange, until you get used to it."

Percy stared at her, but he said nothing.

"Harry?"

He had to force himself not to glare at Hermione. "What?"

"Hadn't we better...um..."

"We can't," said Harry, shortly. "I left my Cloak at Hogwarts. If Grimmauld Place is being watched there's no way we can get in."

"Oh, but you do have your cloak," said Hermione eagerly; and reaching into the small beaded bag by her side she tugged out the Cloak.

"What else have you got in there?" asked Ron, curiously.

"Oh, everything," said Hermione vaguely. "I packed all our stuff weeks ago, I told you."

"_All our stuff_?" Ron demanded, staring at her bag. "Exactly what do you mean by all?"

"Oh, Ronald," said Hermione witheringly. "Don't you _ever_ listen? I performed an Expansion Charm on the bag."

"What's that mean?" he asked indignantly.

Hermione was beginning to give a rather snappish reply; but Harry, who was quite tired of their sparring, cut her off sharply. "I'm going to go first," he said, pressing his hand to his forehead. He didn't mean to, but the pain of his scar was growing. Hermione looked at him apprehensively.

"I'll go with you, there's room for two under the Cloak -"

"No," said Harry. He wanted to simply be alone, as he realized he hadn't had a moment of proper solitude since before the fateful journey to the caves; besides that, his head was fairly aching.

"Don't you think we should stick together, mate?" asked Ron, looking concerned and anxious, just like Hermione. Harry knew they meant well, but at the moment he simply wanted to get away from them and their pity, to be alone and grieve in peace...he shook his head.

"I'll Apparate onto the steps," he said aloud. "I'll come back to tell you if the place is being watched. If it's not, we can Apparate all at once; if it is, we'll need to go by two or three."

"Harry, I'm not sure this is a good idea," said Hermione. She looked pale and unkempt in the faint streetlight, and as Harry looked around at the group he realized the all looked the same, excluding Percy and Annabeth who simply appeared confused. Every wizard before him looked tired, afraid, lost, just like him. And yet they were all looking to him for help, for leadership...he felt the responsibility slam on his shoulders. More than ever he wished for Dumbledore.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Keep out of sight." And before anyone could say anything, he slipped on the Cloak and Apparated into the night.

Had there really been Death Eaters at Grimmauld Place, Harry would have been caught at once. He was somewhat distracted and Apparated in front of the house instead of on the steps. The place looked cold and empty; Harry had not been there since Sirius' death.

His scar burned, but he focused his mind.

In the dusty front hall of the house, a wave of memories washed over Harry. The last time he was here, it had been full of life and of people...Sirius had been there. The umbrella-stand lay knocked over at his feet.

He realized suddenly that something was wrong. Walking further into the house, he noted that it was a mess all over - as if someone had searched through the place. _Mundungus again_? He thought. But by this time the pain in his forehead was so intense he could barely think. He dropped to the floor on his knees, his hand pressed against his scar...and suddenly he stood in a dark, elegantly furnished room with several people in black facing him, in a half moon...one stood before the rest...

He laughed, a high, cold, chilling laugh, stretching out a hand to place on the shoulder of the man before him.

"Ah, well done, Severus! Well done!"

"Thank you, my lord."

His face like stone, Snape bowed before Voldemort.

"Where is the boy, Severus?"

"My lord," Snape said, "he was not present."

"No matter," said Voldemort. "I can attend to him later." And Harry felt the sweep of elation in Voldemort's mind: Dumbledore, his greatest enemy, was dead, at the hand of this his most faithful servant...he was now the most powerful wizard on earth...nothing could stop him from killing the boy whenever he wanted.

"We have things to attend to," said Voldemort softly. "I need control, absolute control, of the Ministry of Magic."

"My lord," began one of the Death Eaters. Harry recognized him; tall, blond, huge, he had been present at Dumbledore's death.

"Silence, Yaxley!" Voldemort said, raising his voice every so slightly; still, Yaxley flinched as if he'd been slapped.

"Meanwhile I have other business," Voldemort said. "You," and he turned to a slight figure, standing outside of the circle. "Bring me Ollivander. He is in the dungeons, is he not? I wish to speak with him."

"You would be wise to remember," said Voldemort, turning to his Death Eaters, "that a spell has been placed upon my name. Those who do not regard me with proper respect have a blasphemous habit of using it freely. If it is spoken by anyone, we will know. That person must be found, caught, and brought to me. Do you understand?"

A unanimous "Yes, my lord," rose from the circle of Death Eaters, followed by a silence that was louder than screaming. Presently Wormtail returned, and with him he bore a man in chains: Harry barely recognized the Garrick Ollivander he'd met underneath the thin, haggard, white face.

"Well, Ollivander," said Lord Voldemort. "The time has come for you to serve the purpose for which you have been brought here. Do you know what that is?"

"N-no, my lord," Ollivander said, a shiver passing over him as he spoke.

Harry could feel Voldemort's controlled, yet rising fury building up within him, and his scar was nearly blinding him with pain. He fought to tear his mind away from the Dark Lord's, but it had been a long excursion and he found it difficult. He saw Ollivander's white face, very close to his own; he felt Voldemort's fury and the hissed, "_Crucio_!" He saw Ollivander writhing on the floor, "...mercy, my lord...have mercy...I will tell you all I know..."

And he was back, lying alone on the dusty floor, his heart pounding and his mind echoing with Ollivander's screams.

* * *

><p><strong>For the sake of this story, by the way, Ginny and Luna can Apparate, and Voldemort has had the ban on his name made early. And I know that Harry would have had the Cloak with him, but hey, it's my story, and I can take creative license, right?<strong>

**To n3rdgirl4l1fe, zeyjaykay, and keara: Thanks for taking the time to read + review!**

**Thank you to everyone following/favoriting/reviewing. You light my world and make me feel loved. :)**

**now, I've done the writing, it's your turn! Whaddaya think? If you don't review, I'm never uploading again.**

**-Kenzie**


	6. Worries

**Hey, sorry it's been a minute! Life's been catching up with me. This story has been weighing heavily on my mind though. Unfortunely this update right here is just a little bit of stalling before moving on, but at least it sets up a few things. I'm sorry to leave you with so little, my faithful ones, but...well...ok, I don't have an excuse.**

**By the way, I just discovered what a HUGE fandom HP/PYO crossovers is. I swear I didn't know or I'd never have made one. I am now so intimidated that my writer's block is coming into play. Bear with me, please!**

**This is from Harry's POV, obviously. You will see more Percy soon, I promise! Plus my darling Nico.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. **

* * *

><p>When Harry Apparated back into the square he got rather a nasty surprise: none of his friends were in sight. Staggering slightly, he adjusted the Cloak so that he was completely covered and looked around hastily.<p>

"_Harry_!" Hermione hissed. "Over here!"

There they stood, hidden in the shadow of a building. Harry hurried over to them, drawing off the Cloak as he did so.

"Where have you _been_?" Hermione hissed.

"Never mind that," Harry said. "It's all right, they're not watching Grimmauld Place. But we'd better not use You-Know-Who's name."

"Voldemort?" said Hermione. "Harry, you know -"

"Quick!" Harry hissed, seizing her arm. "Grimmauld Place! Everyone hold on!"

When they had arrived in front of the building, Harry turned to his friends.

"We can't say You-Know-Who's name," he said. "It's taboo. That's probably how they found us at Camp Whatever-It-Was; I'll bet there are Death Eaters on their way to Budliegh Babberton now..."

"Oh, how horrible!" exclaimed Hermione, her hand going to her mouth. "I didn't know!"

"Half-Blood," said Annabeth.

"What?" asked Harry, taken by surprise.

"You called it Camp Whatever-it-is. It's Camp Half-Blood." She stared at him, as if daring him to cross her.

"Fine," he said, exasperated. "Camp Half-Blood. We'd better go in now, at any rate."

* * *

><p>Once through the dusty, cobwebby hallway and in the main room of the house, Harry suddenly remembered the diabolical spectre that was Mrs. Black. He glanced around him quickly, mentally smacking himself for having forgotten. "Shut up!" he hissed to the others, who were making quite a bit of noise.<p>

Everyone looked at him indignantly, but Harry was listening to hard to notice. But he didn't hear a single sound.

Odd, that.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione demanded, concern plastered across her face.

"Nothing," said Harry shortly; he might have explained the matter, but for some reason Hermione's concern put him on edge.

"What exactly is this place, anyway?" Draco muttered, staring at the wall. Harry glanced over and noted that Malfoy was looking at the Black family tree painted across the wall; he had a sudden memory of looking at it himself, with Sirius standing by his side, when he had first come to the house.

"This was the old home of the Black family," he said, frankly rather surprised that Malfoy didn't know that, his mother being from the house of Black and all. Sirius' own first cousin, sister to Bellatrix.

_Bellatrix._

For some reason, thinking of her while in Sirius' house - his last refuge - made Harry's blood boil within him. He turned away from Malfoy with loathing and headed for the kitchen, where Hermione had just lit the oil lamps with her wand. Annabeth and Percy had taken interest in some of the obviously more Wizarding artifacts in the room.

"This place is filthy," said Luna conversationally.

Annoyed, Harry snapped, "No one's been here for months, Luna. Of course it is."

"Wait a sec," Ron said. "Kreacher's still here, isn't he?"

"No," said Harry. "He's at Hogwarts." And he wondered suddenly what was happening there; how Dean and Neville and Seamus fared, whether or not Snape had...but he couldn't even think of Snape. He realized that he had no idea what was going on in the Wizarding world. Had Voldemort taken over? or were there wizards even now in combat with his forces? And he was stuck here, doing nothing...

"Come with me," Ginny said suddenly, reaching for his arm. Confused, Harry allowed himself to be pulled out of the room and up the staircase he remembered so well, up into the room that he used to share with Ron.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, dropping onto the floor by the bed.

"Nothing," said Ginny, sitting beside him, "except that you looked like you were going to spit fire."

Harry didn't answer. He was incredibly grateful, for Ginny's observance and her understanding; but he had no idea what to say to her. There were no words, not now.

But, then again, there was one thing that had been on his mind since Chiron had said...

"Ginny," he began, but she cut him off.

"Harry, it's fine, don't ruin this."

He knew what she meant by _this._ He had not really talked to her in days, had not had a quiet moment with her since he knew not when. He leaned his head back against the bed, and after a moment she dropped her cheek on his shoulder. She was a warm, real comfort, and everything else in the world was growing cold, irrelevant, distant...

"Ginny," he said again.

"Harry, please don't," she began, not looking at him.

"No, Ginny, listen."

He straightened, and she had to sit up to look at him.

"Look," he said, a cold feeling crawling through his chest as he spoke. He hated having to say this, with her staring straight at him with that _Ginny_ look in her eyes. "The war, Ginny, and the whole...searching for Hocruxes thing, and..."

"Stop it, Harry! I know where you're going with this," Ginny interrupted. She shook his arm slightly. "And I don't care."

"But, Ginny," he said desperately, "it's really for the best. After all, You-Know-Who could decide to make a target out of people that I'm close to -"

"So? You're close to Ron and Hermione! Are you going to break off your friendship with them? And if he really does do that he'd be quite as happy to go after ex-girlfriends as well as current girlfriends."

"We'll be apart for maybe months," Harry said, his resolve shrinking with every word. _No,_ he thought, steeling himself. _This is for her, really.__  
><em>

"I don't care, I don't care! Do you really think I can just let you go like that? Because, if so -"

"You know better than that, Ginny! This is _because_ I care about you! You have no idea how much I'll miss you -"

"You'll miss me either way," she said defiantly.

Harry felt as if his heart was going to twist in two.

"I'm sorry," said Ginny after a moment. "You don't need this right now, do you? I'll leave it be for the moment. Remember though, Harry, I'm not letting this happen."

Then silence filled the room again, sweet blessed silence, and he and Ginny were alone and they were together, and the world felt all right.

* * *

><p><strong>Raise your hands if you want HarryGinny to stay together! I haven't decided yet. I wasn't going to, mainly because they are not a very convincing couple in canon, at least to me. Besides, they both have a bad temper, so that wouldn't go well together. But I could change things if I _really_ wanted to. Let me know, y'all!**

**To zejaykay: Thanks, that's what I like to hear!**

**To ThatOneJay and ShadowsTouch: Thank you for making me fee loved. 3**

**To FlameFeather4549: Thanks! I don't know, I don't know! Maybe you can PM me about Harry/Ginny. I'm always interested to hear what the shippers think since I'm not one.**

**Thank you everyone who preciously reviewed and continues to follow this story, and all the new favoriters and followers. You're all such darlings!**

**Now! You know what to do. Reviews make for better writing, you know. Besides, you get a shoutout in the AN. What could be better?**

**All joking aside, please, _please_ tell me what you think.**

**-Kenzie :)**


	7. Trapped in Grimmauld Place

**Well, here it is, after all this time.**

**The fact is, I'm having extreme writer's block. I'm really not happy with this chapter, and yes it's REALLY short, but it is what it is. I really wanted to post something for y'all. **

**Now just so I can get my facts straight, I don't remember how Iris-messaging or shadow travel work. So I made it up. If you'd like to correct me, by all means do so. I'd love to get the facts straight.**

**By the way, someone asked me about Dramione. This is not Dramione. I don't believe in Dramione. And I have chosen not to keep Harry/Ginny as a couple. Sorry.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.**

* * *

><p>Percy Jackson was starting to feel like he was living in a dream.<p>

He was used to seeing abnormal things, and he was used to stories of destruction and woe, but there was something entirely different about this particular situation. (Plus, every time he saw one of the other kids wave their wands, he felt foolishly _not_ powerful, which was ridiculous considering _he _ was the son of a god). At this particular moment, he and the others were all seated at the kitchen table of number 12, Grimmauld Place, by request of Hermione Granger. Harry seemed to be rather the leader of this operation, but if so Hermione was his second in command.

Annabeth was sitting next to Percy with a stony look on her face. He dared not ask her what was wrong, but he had rather a bad feeling about her.

"What do you want, Hermione?" demanded Ron in a not very pleasant tone.

"Well," said Hermione calmly, "I think it'd be a good thing to decide what our plan of action should be, don't you?"

"We need to contact Chiron," said Annabeth. "That's what he said to do, isn't it? He'll tell us what we should do next."

"Shouldn't we try and scavenge for some food first? There's nothing here," said Ron.

"Ron! There_ are_ times when you should think of something other than your stomach!" Hermione snapped.

"He's right, though," said Luna. "None of us has eaten since before the battle, and that was yesterday."

Hermione glared at her. Percy himself was gnawingly hungry, not having eaten since dinner the night before, but at the look on Hermione's face he chose not to mention it.

"I _really_ think we should Iris-message Chiron," said Annabeth insistently.

"No!" Hermione snapped, and Annabeth looked startled. "I mean, I think we should wait," said Hermione, a bit more calmly.

"Wait for what?" demanded Annabeth, and Percy could tell her temper was rising. "You've no more idea than I do what's going on!"

"I think I do!" Hermione retorted.

"Hey!" said Harry.

Everyone looked at him. He was looking from Hermione to Annabeth.

"Um..." Harry suddenly looked uncertain. "Maybe we should, uh, contact Chiron."

"_Harry_!" exclaimed Hermione.

"What?" he asked stubbornly. "Annabeth is right, Hermione. We don't know what to do. We don't even know if it's safe to go out and get food."

"But, Harry, we don't know if we can trust Chiron!"

"That's as good as saying you don't trust us!" Annabeth snapped.

"I don't, frankly!" Hermione said. "And give me a good reason why I should! We were dropped in your hideout or whatever it is, we know nothing about you, and -"

"Is that my fault?" Annabeth nearly yelled.

Ron, who was sitting next to Percy, whispered, "Catfight," in his ear, and Percy had to stifle a laugh, though he felt a bit guilty for doing so. He knew that Annabeth was angry because she was on edge and had no idea what to do next, and that it made her nervous and as a result, touchy.

"Listen," said Harry, sounding a bit more sure of himself now. "I know we've only been here a few hours, but I also know that Voldemort will be moving as fast as he can. Whatever he does, he isn't going to wait, and we need to keep up with him. And Hermione, I've been thinking, and Chiron's our best bet. He's in the Order - "

"He _says_ he is -"

"There's no way he could know everything he does and not be. Anyway, we need to get started on this Hocrux thing _now,_ and since we don't really know how, we've got to speak with him."

Hermione pressed her lips together and looked angry, but she said nothing.

"All right then," said Annabeth, with thinly concealed triumph. "Let's Iris-message him."

"How d'ye do that?" asked Ron.

"We need a mist,"said Annabeth calmy, rising from her chair. She was now gaining possession of her temper.

In time they found a leaky faucet that sprayed a fine mist of water into the air when turned on. Annabeth tossed a gold drachma into the resulting shimmer of color, and it vanished.

"Iris," she said, "goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering."

An image, blurry at first but soon clear, appeared in the mist before them: Grover, nervously pacing Chiron's study.

"Hey, Grover!" Percy called.

Grover whirled, nearly stumbling on his own hooves. "Perce!" he yelled.

"Yeah, listen, we really need to talk to Chiron."

"Chiron's not really around," said Grover regretfully. "He's looking over the damage.:

"What damage?" demanded Annabeth.

"Well, some people - wizards, or something, showed up and made a mess of things. No one got hurt, but they pretty much trashed the camp."

Percy felt his heart sink. Camp Half-Blood, trashed?

"Anyway," Grover continued, "he told me to tell you this: do not, under any circumstances, leave Grimmauld Place. Don't even Apparate. He says he'll tell you why when he has time."

"What are we supposed to eat?" asked Ginny indignantly.

"I dunno," said Grover. "Hey, the connection's timing out. We'll talk later."

* * *

><p>"So that's it?" Ron asked dismally, shaking an empty can. They had raided the pantry and the cellar and had found a grand total of two mouldy crusts of bread and a tin of sardines. "Don't leave Grimmauld Place, he says. You might starve to death, but at least you'll be safe."<p>

"Isn't there a house elf?" asked Malfoy.

"There was," said Harry darkly. "He works at Hogwarts now."

"What's a house elf?" asked Annabeth.

"They work for wizarding families," Hermione said. "They always have. Did you see all the elf-heads on the wall in the hallway? They've been enslaved really. They don't have rights. It's horrible."

"They don't want rights," interrupted Malfoy.

"How do you know?" demanded Hermione hotly.

"Well, have you ever asked one?"

Hermione started to reply, but Ginny interrupted, "Is this really the time to be advertising spew?"

"It's S.P.E.W., not spew, and Percy asked," said Hermione indignantly.

"Anyway," said Harry, "d'ye supposed I could call Kreacher here?"

"What do you want the dirty little bugger for?" asked Ron.

"Well, he can get in and out, can't he? That way we could get some food. I'd have to expressly tell him not to tell anyone we were here, though."

"It's better than nothing," said Hermione, after a pause.

"And we'd get some food," said Luna happily.

At that moment, there was a great clattering and crashing from behind them. In the corner of the kitchen, where all the pans lay stacked upon one another, a cloud of dust was rising. When it cleared, a boy stood in front of them - a small, pale boy with dark hair and shadows under his eyes.

"Nico!" exclaimed Percy.

* * *

><p><strong>Um, yeah.<strong>

**Again, not thrilled with this bit, but it's something. Next, Nico.**

**FlameFeather4549: Thank you! Sure, I felt the Harry/Ginny thing was needed to be realistic.**

**Mrmikezabini227: Yep. My thoughts exactly.**

**god of all: Thank you!**

**Isali: I agree. Ginny is not the girl for Harry.**

**Naruto-Uzu-Uchicha: Exactly! Except for Ginny's crush on Harry in her first year. I always thought she must have gotten over that really quickly.**

**LittleBlackLamb: This is not a Harry/Ginny. And I agree with you about the Trio. I don't hate Hermione, though. What are your other reasons? I do find her character rather annoying.**

**Meg the Patriot: Thanks for the well wishes! My hand is fine.**

**Now: please, please review: it makes my week! Tell me if you thought anyone was OOC! I hate OOC.**

**-Kenzie**


End file.
